HONEA PATH -- “Our offensive line in the first half just really took over the football game.”

The Wren High football team can affirm that statement from Belton-Honea Path coach Russell Blackston. Largely on the backs of that line and tailback R.J. Ellis, the Bears rolled to a 41-24 win to set up a Region 1-AAAA championship finale Oct. 26 at undefeated Daniel.

Ellis rushed for 123 tough yards -- 89 before halftime – to carry BHP to a seventh win and most importantly a third consecutive region win. The Bears would have to win at Daniel in order to earn a share of the regular-season title.

“This is his fourth game back,” said Blackston of Ellis, who missed the start of the season because of injuries sustained in a car accident in late June. “He’s got some fresh legs and a fresh body. He really just old-school pounded it in there. The yards after contact were huge.”

BHP’s first scoring drive featured Ellis rushing seven times for 30 yards, setting up a familiar storyline. The Bears completed the drive with a 9-yard pass from Camden Bratcher to Xavier Nance to overcome an early 7-0 deficit.

“That’s just how we run the ball,” Ellis said. “It’s my line, my team, my coaches that get me there.”

By the end of the first half, that storyline would be repeated three times. Ellis ground out the tough yardage to keep drives going, and Bratcher finished them off with touchdown tosses. Bratcher ended up with five touchdown passes on 17-for-20 passing.

“Bratcher made some great play-action passes in there,” Blackston said. “It was just a big night for our offense. We’re a behind-the-tackles running team first. Everybody knows that’s who we are.”

As sound as the offense was, the defense may have delivered the back-breaker. With the Bears leading 20-7 early in the second quarter, sophomore Bralyn Oliver intercepted a Tyrell Jackson pass at the 43 and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.

“Our DB’s feel like we can be the best in the state,” Oliver said. “We had high intensity at practice all week. I came off a bad play before that, so I had to come back strong.”

The Bears held the Hurricanes' passing game to 235 yards – but most of that happened on their final two possessions, with less than 5 minutes remaining in a 41-10 game.

“It is a true rival game,” Blackston said. “Our kids were amped up.”

In addition to the Senior Night sendoff at Marlee Gambrell Field, senior Xavier Nance became the BHP career receptions leader with 133 on an early fourth-quarter catch, one of his 11 in the game including two for touchdowns.